


Master of Luck

by AgentHenry



Series: The Dark World [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Addiction, Blackmail, Break Up, Bullying, Consent Issues, Deaf Character, Discrimination, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Family, Forbidden Love, Forgiveness, Friends to Lovers, Hogwarts Sixth Year, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Manipulation, Marriage, Mental Health Issues, Origin Story, School, Self-Harm, Slow Build, Substance Abuse, Suicide Attempt, Violence, first wizarding war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-07-28 08:37:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16238021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentHenry/pseuds/AgentHenry
Summary: Everyone knows Lucius Malfoy is lucky - from girls to school to Pureblood politics. He can do anything and get away with everything.Narcissa Black is more than happy to prove that even Malfoy’s luck can run out.





	1. I. Teenage Dream

_Let’s go all the way tonight, no regrets, just love_

_We can dance until we die, you and I, we’ll be young forever_

_**Teenage Dream, Katy Perry** _

_May, 1999_

“You’re here to do what exactly?”

After surviving a war where the monster lived within the very walls he was currently pacing around, there wasn’t a lot that surprised Draco Malfoy anymore, and even less he feared. But as he circled his corner of the room to watch the psychiatrist, Narcissa caught a bit of both in her son’s eyes. A woman brave enough to take on his father inspired such reactions.

A Muggleborn happy to walk into Malfoy Manor was enough to demand their attention. She sat straight against the couch, her ankles crossed, and a notebook on her lap. Professional. Ready. Comfortable. Narcissa watched her, counting her breaths to push away her envy, and the woman across from her only smiled in return.

“To hear about your father,” she repeated. "Mr Malfoy was very specific; if I want to know him better, I must ask the person who knows him best.”

The Healer tipped her head to Narcissa. She remained still. The letter, stating Healer Sutherland’s request to visit and her intentions for it had arrived a week ago and Narcissa had taken three days to read it thoroughly and talk it through with Draco. She’d gone to her sister Andromeda, her and Lucius’ friend David Nott and his partner Stephen Odell, and wrote to anyone else still alive to make sure they were okay if she followed the instructions in the letter before sending her response. Narcissa knew what the woman wanted to hear, she just didn’t understand why.

“Draco.” She patted the seat beside her and waited for him to sit before continuing. “What we want to know is how this is relevant and why Lucius would agree to it in the first place. If the answers you provide are adequate, you may ask whatever you like and I will answer truthfully.”

“Okay.” Sutherland tucked a stray hair behind her ear and pulled herself up even straighter. “The point of the rehabilitation programme is to assess an individual, to make sure they leave Azkaban as functioning members of society and are worthy of early release if and when it comes up. But _I_ hope Mr Malfoy genuinely learns something from it.” She paused, nodded to herself. “When this idea was presented to Law Enforcement and the Minister, Head Auror Odell went to Mr Malfoy first, because they know each other and Odell figured that, given everything Mr Malfoy did during the wars, the battle, and the trials, he might be the most open to trying something that would help bring him home. We’ve been meeting for a few weeks, and though he wants to do this properly from what I can tell, he freely admits to not being the best at honest communication. When it comes to himself, at least. He can talk for the entire hour about you two. Unfortunately, it isn’t about you two, so when I asked if he had any suggestions for what to do, he said to come to you, Mrs Malfoy. Maybe, like him, you will be better at talking about someone else. If this works and I can build on our conversation to keep going with Mr Malfoy, in time we may call this programme a success and he could be home long before his five years.”

Narcissa took a second to turn to Draco, who shrugged. They’d already discussed everything; her son would happily try anything to help his family. But he didn’t know his father like Narcissa did and his childhood idolisation of Lucius was too biased for it to help much. This was her decision to make.

“Let me make this clear, Mrs Malfoy; you don’t have to. Mr Malfoy only made a suggestion. I can tell him you said no and keep working with him.” 

_He won’t be home as fast, though._ The words were on the tip of the Healer’s tongue. Narcissa wondered if they tasted as bitter to Sutherland as they did to her, or if Lucius was merely a test subject and the woman actually didn’t care what happened to her husband. Narcissa wouldn’t blame her; it was a miracle a Muggleborn was working with a Malfoy at all. On both sides. It showed Lucius’ commitment to coming home; it showed the Wizengamot his readiness to change. It was just a job to Sutherland. She needed a success story.

_It can only be a good thing at this point._

Narcissa laughed suddenly, a soft sound they only heard because it broke the silence. Both Draco and Sutherland watched her curiously and waited for her to explain.

“I'm sorry, it’s just -” She laughed again. “Everyone called him Lucky or Luck when we were kids, because nothing bad could really touch him. Even when his luck turned sour, it never lasted. Still doesn’t. He got away with it completely after the first war, he escaped his first time in prison, and now he could cut down a five year sentence to one, maybe two, because he’s got a Muggleborn to fight his corner. All these years I’ve known him and I still don’t know how he does it. It was infuriating when we were teenagers, I tried to knock him down a peg or two more than once.”

“Summer 1971?” Sutherland asked.

Frowning, Narcissa nodded. “How did you know?”

“He made a comment a couple of weeks ago.” She flipped a couple of pages in her notebook. “I asked him was there a time in his life when his ideals or beliefs were different to the ones he had during the war and if he was happier. He said summer 1971 to summer 1972. He said that, besides the birth of his son, that was when only one thing mattered and that year has the best and worst days of his life, because you and him were the best and worst versions of yourselves. He said to ask you about it.”

That year flit through her mind like scrapbook memories, glimpses that never showed the whole picture. A life neither they nor their friends ever really spoke about. She found herself silently grateful that she’d asked their permission.

“Okay.” She took Draco’s hand. “If you’re staying for this story, I’ll warn you now. It doesn’t often show your father in the best light and I have my moments as well."

Draco rolled his eyes. “After everything that happened in the war, I think I can handle it.” 

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, shaking her head when he asked her to explain. That would get ahead of the story.

“Because it’ll help,” she whispered to herself. “I’ll start at the beginning.”


	2. I’d Lie

He stands there, then walks away

My God, if I could only say, I’m holding every breath for you

**I’d Lie, Taylor Swift**

***

_June, 1971_

Lucius Malfoy finished his fifth year at Hogwarts a legend. I got the silent treatment for it.

Three days before we were due to leave, Slytherin House woke up to a plaque over the fireplace. It shone under the light, a brilliant silver that made the words incredibly hard to miss. No amount of pulling or magic could get it off. And I was in such a foul mood that I tried. It frustrated me, it disgusted me frankly. Those four nasty words mocked me, made me feet dirty. But I was the one in the right and Lucius Malfoy was the dog.

Yet he got a plaque and I got the silent treatment.

In Malfoy we trust.

Boys.

“That’s never coming off.” Oh, that second voice. The patronising, cocky, sixth year voice. I turned to find David Nott watching me, throwing and catching his wand in his hand. The hearing aids his father built, based on a muggle design that came out a couple of years before, looked silver under the dim Slytherin lights. At least he was no longer shouting at me. “It’ll join the other school relics.”

I jabbed my finger at the monstrous thing. “Did you do this?”

He did nothing but smile. I hated him, too. I hated him the most. Until Malfoy came down the stairs, nodded at Nott, and blanked me completely. My blood boiled and my magic stirred. Nott ducked when the fire spat at him

“Sorry,” I murmured, though I didn’t really mean it. My gaze was still following Malfoy. He was definitely top of my hate list.

“You tattled, he’s in trouble. But guess what - Lucius Malfoy is always in trouble. He’ll get over it and we’ll all be friends again by Monday."

Monday. I incendioed the plaque and went to wallow in my room. I was not looking forward to Monday.

***

_May, 1999_

Draco leaned back into the couch. “That plaque is still there. People would ask me about it if they were brave enough, but I never knew what it was for. If you ask around school, people whose families where there with you and Dad, all they would say is what they were told - Lucius was a legend. I asked you once, you went very quiet. What’s it for?”

Narcissa raised a shoulder, her cheeks a slight shade of pink and a hand clenched at her side. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Sutherland put her notebook flat on her lap, her pen twirling between her fingers. “What happened on the Monday.”

“Saturday first,” Narcissa said. “You want to understand Lucius.”

***

_June, 1971_

Elizabeth Durand found me at the front doors at seven am Saturday morning. I loved Elizabeth, she was the black sheep of Slytherin. A Halfblood in a group of Purebloods. Her father was a French politician, who came to England a lot on business and to visit his nephew. He was newly engaged when he met Lizzie’s mother and their affair lasted the three weeks he stayed here; I don’t know the whole story, but he was a decent man who married a nice woman and they both accepted her as his daughter. He lost so-called friends for it, including a very hypocritical Abraxas Malfoy, and that was the second reason Lucius accepted her. He spent the twenty years he had with his father doing the exact opposite of what the man said or wanted, but this year was the worst. His real rebellion phase.

The carriages to take us to the station weren’t scheduled to come until nine; I couldn't bear to be in there anymore. I was tempted to start walking when Lizzie sat beside me.

“I don’t blame you for setting that thing on fire. It’s ghastly,” she said, crinkling her nose.

“It was still there when I woke up this morning. Good as new.”

I sighed. I hated when David Nott was right.

“Are you okay, Cis? You and Luck have fought, not spoken, and gone back to normal the whole time you’ve known each other. This should be no different.”

“I’ve never told on him before. He couldn’t not know it was me, I was the one who caught him. We didn’t even yell after he got in trouble, he just... walked away. He’s blaming me, even though I'm the one in the right.”

“That’s boys for you.”

“I did what I had to do.”

“You went to McGonagall.” 

I couldn’t tell if she was agreeing with me or not with that comment, but she’d took my side for everything else, so I continued. “Lucius Malfoy is wealthy, powerful, good at everything, and proud to be entitled. Slughorn would never really punish a member of the Slug Club. McGonagall was appropriately furious, but fair, Gryffindor or otherwise.”

“She was the best choice. And Luck will get over it.”

I couldn’t hold back a disgusted shiver. “Even that nickname gets to me.”

Lizzie put her arm around my shoulders. “It’ll blow over by Monday.”

“You sound like David.” I sucked in a breath. Tucked my hair back behind my ears. I’d left it down that morning, in too much of a hurry to leave the common room to really worry about my appearance. It was a windy morning and part of me regretted it, but all my hair clips and toiletries were packed away in my trunk and I didn’t want to go through that mess. I didn’t want to deal with any mess. “I don’t think I’ll go on Monday.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that and I’ll either see you Sunday night at Luck’s or Monday morning at the check-in. We’ll see if I’m brave enough.”

“Abraxas Malfoy isn’t as scary as you think he is.”

“You haven’t known him as long as I have.” Lizzie squeezed me tighter, scoffing. “And of course you can say that. I’ve met your sister.”

She won that argument.

“Wait here for me,” she said. “I’ll finish packing and we’ll start walking, stop at the Three Broomsticks for a little breakfast.”

I'd watched her finish packing the night before, knew she’d really finish up her fifth year duties as a prefect to inform a teacher of our walk, and would hopefully lie about my reasons. Since school was technically over and this was when Slughorn came in handy, she was back fifteen minutes later, leading the way. It was comforting, just the two of us; we were not often away from the group and Lizzie, Andromeda, and I were the only girls, so it was hard enough talking about what we wanted to talk about on a good day. Walking through Hogsmeade, having breakfast with someone I trusted, and being able to talk about whatever I wanted made that morning less awful. I could pretend that Lucius Malfoy didn’t exist. Of course, our group always got the same compartment on the train, so it wasn’t going to last.

It was nice for a while, though.

***

Lizzie and I were already aboard and waiting when the rest of Hogwarts started showing up. Leo Zabini joined us first; charming, outgoing, slightly weird. He came to Hogwarts every year from Italy, because his mother’s family went to Beauxbatons and his father’s went to Durmstrang, so he wanted to be different. He added to our conversation about the pros and cons of coming of age parties just as David Nott and Stephen Odell walked in. It was an unspoken rule among the group to know they were in a relationship but not talk about it, not in public. The ‘Pureblood and Mudblood’ taboo. His father didn’t care; Jared Nott was what my father quietly called an Uneducated Liberal in political circles and a blood traitor when he was really angry. A Muggle sympathiser to his face. But the Notts have always been influential in the wizarding world, especially in medicine and potion making. Jared was a Healer, a businessman in pharmaceuticals, and was well loved in the Ministry, and that was before you remembered his wealth and blood status. No one spoke against his beliefs in public. It wouldn’t stop people talking about the boys, though. Stephen didn’t want that for David. I admit, he and his fellow Muggleborn friend Edward Tonks weren’t well liked with myself, my sister, or Lucius. But we ignored it because of David and they were real friends with Leo and Lizzie.

Double standards, I know, but it worked when we were children.

Edward joined us next. Quickly followed by Andromeda. Edward smiled, she ignored him to sit as close to me as possible. That was their way. Lucius came in last. The moment he opened the door, we heard people pat him on the shoulder and congratulate him. My mood darkened instantly. He was already quiet and sulking, his jaw set and his eyes down. He pushed through, going straight to his seat at the window. He was right across from me, our ankles knocked together each time we moved. We could have fought then and there, cleared the air, let our anger out in any way.

He didn’t even look at me and I refused to give in first. If he wanted me to be his bad luck, I was more than happy to provide it.

I mostly spoke to Andromeda and Lizzie on the first half of our journey home, joining in other conversations when I had something relevant to say. Lucius did the same if David or Leo were speaking. It left an awkward air in the carriage. It had been almost a week since the incident - the longest we’ve ever gone not speaking to one another. I had nowhere to run that time. I’d had an excuse to leave early this morning. Hiding in a toilet stall was too obvious, much too cowardly. And if word of that got to Bellatrix, I’d never hear the end of it. Two years before, she graduated Hogwarts and she still had spies everywhere to “make sure her sisters behaved”. Nothing was worth her punishment.

That was why I knew I would still go on Monday. Bellatrix was not coming and she had no spies in France. We could celebrate Andromeda’s graduation however we wanted. Lucius would not ruin that.

But I couldn’t sit in that carriage the entire ride, not when I wanted so much to yell and curse at the idiot in front of me. I mentioned using the bathroom and looking for a book and forced myself to not run from the room. Bellatrix couldn’t reasonably use it against me, but I’d take it if I had to.

I rummaged through the luggage carriages until I found my trunk, and opened it up, thankful I’d packed my books last. I pulled out one of the romance novels Lizzie loaned me. It was a typical, trashy girl-meets-boy-and-hates-him-till-she-realises-she-loves-him type of book that was compelling enough to pass the time. I found an empty spot at the back of the train and read for the rest of the journey. 

I felt strangely calm, better than I’d been all week.

***

I didn’t see any of the group again until we were on the platform. Once I’d grabbed my trunk, I stood by the wall opposite the luggage carriage, so Andromeda could find me easier. Stephen Odell, of course, found me first. As he made his way over, I took a moment to study him; dark-skinned, darker even than Leo; neat, short hair, like a soldier’s cut; extremely well built, having trained almost every day with the Gryffindor Quiddich team and David since he was twelve, but it didn’t stop him from being quick on his feet. The perfect Keeper’s build and would naturally serve him well for his future career as an Auror. Not even his accent spoilt how attractive he was. Then there was the Nice Boy attitude he carried; a stickler for the rules, perfectly polite, a genuine good guy. If he were Pureblood and straight, he’d have been a parent’s dream for their daughter. Even I wasn’t blind to how David could love him. He pulled his trunk to his side and stood to my right. Not looking me in the eye as he waited for David, but still able to speak. The school was used to seeing Muggleborns in our group when we were a group, they were even used to those Muggleborns being a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff in a den of Slytherins. But not one-on-one. That was not allowed, especially not in such a public place.

“You did the right thing, telling McGonagall what happened,” he said, thick Welsh coming through no matter how softly he spoke.

“I know.” 

“Shh,” he said. “I’m still talking.”

Saying that to a Black should have terrified him; even if I didn’t hex him, anyone could have heard and told Bellatrix, and she hated David Nott. Being David’s friend - in public - would not have saved him if she’d decided that David’s retaliation was worth it. He just stood there, completely calm, and waited to ensure my mouth was shut and I wasn’t going to hex him before continuing.

“But if you didn’t want this silent treatment, you should have told me. He already doesn’t like me, no skin off my back to tell on him.”

“I found out because I caught him. If you had told McGonagall, he would have known who told you and this would be even worse.” 

Stephen let himself smile a little. “He’s a teenage boy, Narcissa. He bragged about it. He wouldn’t have assumed you’d told me. It just would have been proof or a reason to tell, because someone else agreed with me that it was wrong.” 

Even I rolled my eyes at that. “Now you tell me.”

“Although a Lucius-free week sounds delightful.”

“Wait till you have to live it.”

I expected a lot of different reactions from Odell for that. A scoff, a wince, a sigh. Telling me I was a fool. Instead he faced me properly, more serious than I’d ever seen him. And he’s almost always serious. “I agree that what you did was right and I believe that you shouldn’t have done it, because you don’t like the silent treatment. Not because I can’t bear the idea of you and him not speaking, because honestly you both really annoy me in your own ways and I don’t quite give a crap. It’s because you did it as a jealous vendetta, because he’s not noticing you the way you want. Your crush is exhausting, do something about it or get over it. Please.” 

“I- I- ” I was too shocked to articulate myself properly. I was furious, though. I could feel my cheeks heat terribly and my hands shook at my sides. It wasn’t how he spoke to me. It should have been; for a long time afterwards, I wished it was. But it was his exact words and I could only force out six of my own. “I do not have a crush.” 

I couldn’t. I refused.

It got worse.

We didn’t say any more. Lucius had made his way to the luggage carriage and some sixth year brave enough to get in the way was following him. He was loud enough for Stephen and I to hear, but we ignored his praise for what Lucius had done. We paid more attention when my name came up.

“So you’re friends with Narcissa Black, right?”

Lucius’ eye twitched at my name and his tone was cold. “I’ve known her a while.” 

“So if you could introduce as, that’d be great. I’d love to have her over a desk as well, you know.”

It all happened very fast. One moment this boy was stood there, grinning. The next, he was on the floor, holding his nose but unable to contain the blood, while Lucius shook his hand. David had already grabbed him by the time I was close enough.

“If you talk about her like that again, if you talk about her at all or even look in her direction, I’ll do more than break your nose.” He pushed David off, got his trunk, and came my way. “Anyone ever says something like that to or around you, tell me.”

I let Lucius lead me away, our falling out momentarily put aside. My heart hammered in my chest the entire way to our cars. My stomach did so many flips, I thought I might throw up. Stephen’s words swam around in my head. Lucius Malfoy rarely went to such extremes to defend a girl’s honour, unless they were his friends. The only three female friends he had and I was both proud and devastated to be one of them. For three reasons:

One, I recognised that he’d done things like this for my honour before and I’d always had the quickening heart and dodgy stomach.

Two, that meant that Stephen was potentially right about my having a crush on my closest friend.

And three, he was never going to look at me as anything other than a friend.

I was screwed.

**Author's Note:**

> I think I got all the warnings in the tags, so I’m just gonna say I hope you enjoy this Lucius/Narcissa story. It’s gonna be a long one.
> 
> Also, if you read my Theo/Harry, You Belong With Me, I am so sorry that I haven’t updated the last who knows how many Wednesdays. I have an outline for it and I know where it’d going. In theory. In reality, I just can’t seem to make the words work and every time I open the doc, I get frustrated and close it again. It’s awful. But it’s not abandoned, I will make it work. Eventually.
> 
> Sam.


End file.
